From toner to inkjet - David Procter joins Kyocera Document Solutions

Industry stalwart David Procter has joined Kyocera Document Solutions as Regional General Manager & National Print Production Manager, following a short hiatus after his departure from Konica Minolta in October 2022. This means a focus on the flagship SRA3 printer - the Kyocera TASKalfa 1500C - powered by inkjet, not toner. Kyocera is a world-leading supplier of ceramic 1200dpi printheads used in many leading printers, such as Screen's L350UV label presses.

Kyocera's TASKalfa 1500C is a fully-spec'd 150ppm production printer using inkjet technology

After a lengthy 20-year stay with Konica Minolta, during which time he established the brand in production print, and previously with Fuji Xerox and Canon; David Procter has joined Kyocera in a role LinkedIn describes as Regional General Manager & National Print Production Manager.

Kyocera recently wowed PacPrint by exhibiting the high-specification TASKalfa 1500Cs SRA3 production press, a 150ppm (A4) inkjet machine using Kyocera's own ceramic-based 1200dpi printheads. The company also announced the installation of two TASKalfas at Melbourne mailing house Precision Group - with the company singing their praises and ordering another two for delivery in 2023.

David Procter

Precision Group, recently moved into a shiny new site at Somerton on the outskirts of Melbourne, is gradually moving its fundraising direct-mail production from overprinted offset 'shells' to single-pass full colour variable data. the company has been delighted with the TASKalfa experience and has commited its enthusiasm to an excellent video case study HERE.

The USD$16.3 billion (2022) Kyocera Inc. is not new to printers. Since buying Mita copiers in 2000, the company has earned a fine reputation for reliable, eco-friendly office printers and MFPs. One office equipment dealer who re-sells several brands says: "We receive far fewer service calls on Kyocera equipment than any other brand." Additionally, sustainability has been a top priority for the Kyoto-headquartered tech company (Kyocera is a portmanteau of Kyoto and Ceramics).

However, with the introduction of the TASKalfa 1500C - Kyocera is catapaulted into the fiercely competetive production print market alongside the likes of Canon, Fujifilm, Konica Minolta, HP and Ricoh. These incumbents mostly use dry toner (liquid toner in the case of HP Indigo), although some have introduced inkjet models. Indeed, Konica Minolta has installed two K1 B2 inkjet presses within Australia.

A big advantage of inkjet in production print is that it delivers the ink directly to the substrate, without an intermediate carrier drum or blanket and without requiring heat-generating fusing of toners.

According to the UK's IPIA (Independent Printing Industry Association): "Inkjet technology is revolutionising the production print market, with Smithers Pira forecasting that it will drive growth for digital print through 2023 and beyond. The dramatic rise of inkjet can be put down to several key factors including its unique feature set and changing consumer trends.

Inkjet combines the benefits of digital technology, such as quick turnaround and variable data printing, with the high- volume capabilities of offset presses. This enables users to produce personalised content in large quantities while it is still relevant, which is valuable for a range of industries looking to enhance the customer experience."

With the hiring of David Procter and the proven performance of the TASKalfa 1500C, we can expect Kyocera to become a major force in production digital print shops and government/educational repro departments.

https://www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.com.au/